The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-04

He was a wealthy man. In fact he
had lost his health in q mine where
he had dug gold, and not being con-
| tent with what he had and could make
| in slower way, he determinedly fol
| lowed lead far under ground, hoping
/ to make q grand thing out oft, though
he had been warned by older miners
| to keep away.
But he went on alone, and one
day after inhaling more than
usual OF the noxious gases, he fell in a
faint at the head OF the vein, and had
never since been well.
It would seem that all the water in
Wanako Springs was not sufficient to
eliminate the poison. There had
been no words ofove between him and
Miss Field.
She had been so matter of-fact that
it seemed impossible for him to talk
sentiment any way.
Beside, as he bitterly said to him
I self
at would never do for mar
one foot in the grave to think y
. rimony."
One evening he escorted Ma
home from the invalid's experience
meeting.
All the way up along the bluffy hills,
the good people OF the town have
placed rude benches, that the invalids
may not weary themselves too much
with climbing.
These two were sitting awhile be-
meath the starlit skies upon one OF
these rustic seats, when Madeline Field
did n most astounding thing. She
made proposal to this black-haired,
londe-bearded man, with the color
less face. She declared that she knew
she could cure him il she but had him
entirely under her supervision, so that
she could diet him and starye him to
her hearts content. So she offered to
marry him. This was merely for the
sake OF convenience.
There was no romancein the matter,
u purely practical business transac'
ton. She wasn't at all in love with
him, and he was not such u man, per-
haps, us she should choose for a hus-
band, but she wanted him for sub
ject. she wished TO experiment on him.
She would marry him and cure him,
and then she or he would go away and
the other would get divorce on the
ground OF desertion.
No one in his home or hers, remote
from this little town in Arkansas,
would ever know anything OF it.
The marriage should be simply a
legal contract, and broken when they
were ready to dissolve it.
He entered into the spirit OF it. At
the rate he then was going, he reason
ed, he could not live long, anyway,
and he was stagnating there for want
OF sensation OF some kind. all had
been so humdrum and monotonous
for him since he had been i'll and oblig-
ed to leave the hustle and war OF
active life. Beside, he was very much
in love with this erratic little person,
and when he died he would leave her
the whole OF his large fortune, which
should make her comfortable for the
rest OF her life, whether she married
again or not.
Added to this, he knew she was not
cognizant OF the fortune he was pos
sessed OF, and that her interest in him
was born entirely OF her dislnterested
love for all OF the human race, lier
wonderful sympathy with suffering,
and a noble selfabnegnation. He ad-
mired and respected her above all
women, and would have done so, had
she been old and ugly; but when a
large hearted young man admires and
respects woman who isyoung, sym.
pathetic and good-looking, with a
thousand little tricks Of manner that
are absolutely charming, it generally
happens that the admiration deepens
into affection, and the respect into
the warmest love. So they were mar.
ried very quietly. No one thought it
odd in any way or different from 9th
er marriages. Every one in Eureka
Springs was stranger to every one
else; no one knew anything OF his
neighbours home.life, or antecedents,
Z or cared to inquire. She took him
under her especial charge, and a strange
honeymoon it was, with never a kiss,
or caress, and never word OF love,
for that was part OF the business ar
rangement She had said:
"Of course you don't care anything
for ME, nor l for you, except as the
physician cares for his patient, and
there is no use in pretending we do, so
there will be no making believe the
love we have not, and do not care to
have. We shall treat each other in ev-
cry way exactly as we have done be-
fore, except as you give up all these
poisonous medicines you are taking,
and leave your cure in my hands"
She was very much surprised when
she found the lavish way in which he
spent money. She suggested a Roman